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Graduate Fiction

Hello fellow, bloggers, writers and readers. I don’t know about you, but for me sharing work with friends and family is terrifying. It’s like standing in front of them naked while they sit and judge. (Well it’s not, but it makes you feel just as vulnerable).

After my initial beta reading from my best writing buddy, I re-edited my manuscript and doled it out to a wider selection of willing friends and relatives. I was really nervous at first, I was letting my guard down in a real way and then as time passed I stopped being nervous. I stopped being nervous because not a single bloody one of them had read it. Then it was to hell with nerves and on with “where are you?” “how are you doing?” … and other ways of getting their arses in gear.

When I finally started getting some feedback back in from them the nerves started up again. What if they didn’t like it? What if they think I’m weird? What if they think it’s about them? And worst of all, what if they don’t think I should be a writer? … The funny thing about those worries is that they related more to me as a person than they did my book. I’m proud of my book and if I didn’t believe in it, I wouldn’t have showed it to them to begin with.

I’ll start by saying they’ve given me some fair and useful criticism, tips that are hard to see yourself on your own project. But the overall response has been a big thumbs up. ‘Hilarious’, ‘fantastic’ and ‘I forgot you’d written it’.

The latter is my favourite comment. I think that’s the highest praise you can give an aspiring writer because if the people who know you best have forgotten it’s your voice and are just enjoying reading a story, surely that must bode well for your prospective audience. I hope so anyway.

I’m looking forward to re-editing my manuscript based on their notes and getting it out in the world. Beta reading is about more than reaffirming an author’s confidence. It’s feedback from your market and a chance to see an objective view of something you can only be subjective about. It’s been fab to experience such great beta love and I hope my book will be all the better for it.

Where are you at with your stories? Are you nervous about beta reading? Have you been a beta reader? Do you think beta love is useful?

I was very excited when the delightful Pema Donyo (@PemaDonyo) asked me to take part in this writer’s tour. She’s a very talented and published author – just have a look at her blog. It’s taken me so long to do this! So I can only apologise to the very talented Dorcas who I have nominated to continue the hop.

What am I working on?

I’ve written and am in the process of editing my first ever novel called The Great Graduate Debacle.

The Great Graduate Debacle is about five childhood friends who have just graduated from university. They’re getting to grips with being back at home, living with their parents again and working full time. Oh and they’ve stolen quite a bit of money that was hidden by a local drug dealer. What could possibly go wrong?

The plot’s tongue in cheek, you can’t take it seriously and you’re not supposed to. It’s a fun story with relevant characters and themes. But mainly funny, it’s supposed to be funny.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I’ve never actually come across a book that deals with this very specific stage in your life, which is why I decided to write about it.

Graduation is a funny time because you feel no more adult than you did when you started university. And yet, you’re suddenly pushed into the real world with the expectation of putting your degree to use. To top things off, if you live back at home, you’re an adult in the day time and still a teenager in the evenings. It can be stressful but it’s funny too, trying something new can often end in brilliant anecdotes.

My novel could fit into the new adult genre but the way it differs is in the characters. My characters aren’t romanticised heroes or villains, they’re just people, with good and bad in them. The normality of the characters and the absurdity of the situation is where I’ve tried to create humour.

Why do I write what I do?

This felt like such a good project to work on for my first novel because it’s what I know. I thought I could tackle this story from real experience that gives it a sense of authenticity I may have not had with more ambitious projects.

As I progress as a writer I hope to write across many other genres, but this was great for getting my feet wet. (And it was fun to write).

How does my writing process work?

I get ideas everywhere. Watching telly, in the bath, chatting with friends … literally anywhere. This particular idea came from a hungover morning with my friends after the funniest night out I’ve ever been on.

Once the idea’s set, it’s on to the characters. Most of the times their names jump into my head and then I decide on their personalities and actions. I take inspiration from people around me but at the end of the day my characters aren’t real (sadly).

In previous projects, I’ve tried to plan chapter by chapter with no success. So this time I just decided the main points of my story, my chapter titles and the rest sorted itself out. I was lucky in that it just flowed, hopefully it reads that way too!

I’m still editing at the moment and then it’s on to looking for a publishing agent. But watch this space, much like Kodaline I have high hopes.

Now let me introduce you to a very talented writer named Dorcas Amis, a very talented young writer! Over to you my friend!

My name is Dorcas Amis, but my friends call me “Dee”. I am from Chingola, I am 23 years old and I graduated 2 weeks ago from university…yay me.

I have always enjoyed reading. I also enjoy writing my thoughts down. Before I discovered blogging it used to just be me and my diary, experimenting with poetry and just writing short stories which were just for my family’s eyes only. 🙂

I finally decided to get really serious and put more effort in my writing (it was impossible at times, with school and all) and I came up with the YA Fantasy story that I am working on, it is still a work in progress though.

Random facts – I love dolphins. My favourite fruit is a pineapple and I HATE bananas

Lewis Carroll’s Mad Hatter asked us this question in 1865 and no one is any closer to solving the mystery. (If you say you’ve got it, I simply don’t believe you).

I’m three chapters into editing the third draft of my book and I’m asking myself ‘why?’ quite a lot right now. Why did I put that scene there? Why did she say that? Why is that in his perspective? Why did I choose to do that? Why did I want to be a writer? And why, why, is a raven like a writing desk?

You see, I’ve given my book a bit of break recently. I took the plunge and handed over my manuscript (if I’m going to be bold enough to call it that) to a beta reader, aka my long-suffering friend Phoebe. I’ll hold my hands up admit I could have scarcely been more annoying. Where are you up to? What do you think so far? So will you read more tonight? I’m a bit surprised we’re still friends actually… But we are. She put up with me valiantly and provided some top notch feedback. (See picture below)

Except going back over it now feels different. It was written just long enough ago that now it’s a bit like someone else’s work. Past Sophie’s. I’m struggling to remember why I made these choices and why I put so many blooming words in a sentence. For the most part, past Sophie did quite well but future Sophie will be wondering why present Sophie is farting around instead of editing.

It’s the dreaded delete key! I understand Phoebe’s comments, I do, and I’m adding scenes and explaining more but I’m so reluctant to press delete. It feels like a piece of my soul has gone into that work and it’s so difficult to cut it out, even if it is for the greater good. Do you ever feel like that?

On the whole, feedback has been both positive and helpful. Having a writing buddy is really useful because they can be honest with you. And my writing buddy is a tough critic. I’m gradually telling my friends and family that I’ve written a book and want to be a writer. It feels a funny thing to admit. I’m half proud (ok a lot proud) and a bit embarrassed. On the whole everyone has been very supportive and I’ve had a lot of reading offers which I’m taking everyone up on! I need as much feedback as I can get – a book is a collaborative venture.

The support here online has been overwhelmingly lovely. I’d say something more emotive but I’m too British, emotion is reserved for fiction.

So why have I done it? Why have I decided to write? Well because I can’t not. And no other why’s seem to matter … except why is a raven like a writing desk, Lewis? One would almost think it was nonsense …

Have I got your attention? Lovely. Don’t worry you’re not in for a rant.

What do you think to swearing and what do you think its place in books?

Personally I don’t find off the cuff swearing offensive, if someone was swearing at me I might get upset but to hear something along the lines of ‘oh my f***ing god’ doesn’t really register. Is that bad of me? I only realise how much I swear when I try not to but then I trip over (as a naturally clumsy person tends to) and a stream of panicked expletives fly out my mouth. Oops.

In fiction, unlike real life, we don’t have the risk of our mouths firing before our brain’s approval. So what does that mean for swearing? In my book (which is currently going into it’s third draft) my characters swear quite a bit. Now, I haven’t chosen to do this for any sort of shock factor, my characters swear because everyone I know swears and my characters are supposed to be damn close to real people (just more interesting).

I’ve read a lot about swearing in writing being a poor choice, when you have a whole lexicon at your disposal why resort to effing and blinding? In some ways I agree. When you’re writing a description in third person it would seem odd to say ‘it was ****ing raining’. But, in dialogue I think it can sound natural and dialogue should sound natural.

I should point out here that I’m not writing a children’s book (there are lines) … but saying that, even Mrs Weasley calls Bellatrix Lestrange a bitch.

Anyway, what do you think? Does swearing have a place in writing? Or should we rise above?